U.S. median for this major: $74,373.
College Scorecard field of study; 111 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 29% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,903.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $23,867. College Scorecard.
ECU Accounting: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses ECU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,046 | $43,700 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $11,699 | $50,891 | 1.1 years |
| $48–75k | $14,904 | $64,832 | 1.4 years |
| $75–110k | $20,417 | $88,814 | 1.9 years |
| $110k+ | $23,028 | $100,172 | 2.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (43% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Accounting graduates 4 years after graduating ($79,351) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $45,835 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting at North Carolina colleges
Every North Carolina college we cover that reports Accounting graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elon University | $105,707 | $20,000 | $41,555 | 84% |
| 2 | High Point University | $99,053 | — | $38,707 | 74% |
| 3 | Queens University of Charlotte | $88,292 | — | $30,857 | 61% |
| 4 | Appalachian State University | $85,580 | $23,262 | $16,836 | 75% |
| 5 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $83,689 | $20,946 | $17,303 | 85% |
| 6 | East Carolina University | $79,351 | $22,814 | $15,739 | 63% |
| 7 | North Carolina Central University | $78,048 | $27,000 | $15,359 | 42% |
| 8 | North Carolina A & T State University | $77,940 | $27,000 | $10,846 | 57% |
| 9 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $76,690 | $22,500 | $15,435 | 69% |
| 10 | Belmont Abbey College | $74,698 | $25,982 | $24,639 | 47% |
| 11 | Wingate University | $73,805 | $25,000 | $20,748 | 46% |
| 12 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlottebachelor's & associate | $73,476 | $27,000 | $27,426 | 49% |
| 13 | Winston-Salem State University | $70,941 | $27,000 | $13,479 | 47% |
| 14 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $70,389 | $21,633 | $10,965 | 56% |
| 15 | Campbell University | $69,748 | $25,595 | $24,516 | 61% |
| 16 | University of North Carolina Asheville | $69,472 | $22,612 | $12,250 | 54% |
| 17 | Guilford College | $67,698 | $27,000 | $22,270 | 46% |
| 18 | Methodist University | $65,090 | — | $24,704 | 44% |
| 19 | Western Carolina University | $61,346 | $20,000 | $13,315 | 60% |
| 20 | University of Mount Olive | $59,952 | $30,933 | $18,853 | 52% |
| 21 | Gardner-Webb University | $58,918 | $27,000 | $17,674 | 55% |
| 22 | North Carolina Wesleyan University | $53,327 | $23,907 | $17,432 | 42% |
12 more North Carolina colleges offer Accounting but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Accounting graduates
Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial and Investment Analysts
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at ECU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About ECU
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 63% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $55,146
- Full cost breakdown · all 68 majors · overview
Related majors at ECU
- Finance$78,324
- Business Administration$64,723
- Marketing$73,626
- Economics$64,597
ECU Accounting questions
How much do ECU Accounting graduates earn?
Accounting graduates of East Carolina University earn a median $79,351 four years after graduating and $48,351 one year after. The U.S. median for Accounting graduates across 741 colleges is $74,373.
How much debt do ECU Accounting graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Accounting graduates of East Carolina University is $22,814, about 29% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,903.
Is ECU a good school for Accounting in North Carolina?
On pay, Accounting graduates of East Carolina University earn $79,351 four years out, $5,711 above the median for the same major across 22 North Carolina colleges ($73,640) and $4,978 above the U.S. median ($74,373). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does ECU rank for Accounting in North Carolina?
Of 22 North Carolina colleges reporting Accounting graduate earnings, East Carolina University ranks 6th. The highest is Elon University at $105,707.
What jobs do Accounting graduates get?
A common career is accountant / auditor, with a median wage of $75,140 in the Greenville, NC area and $83,680 nationally. Others include financial managers and financial and investment analysts.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “East Carolina University Accounting: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/east-carolina-university/majors/accounting (College Scorecard and BLS data).